1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to amusement ride systems, and in particular, roller coasters. More specifically, the invention relates to a roller coaster car having a passenger compartment which is isolated by force controlling devices such as springs and pneumatic cylinders.
2. State of the Art
Roller coasters have enjoyed immense popularity in the United States and elsewhere for over one hundred years. These rides often consist of a passenger carrying vehicle, or collection of vehicles joined together, which traverse along a track system. Historically, the track system typically comprised a pair of parallel rails which exhibit steep upward and downward gradients in elevation, and sharp left and right banking turns. Aside from supplying the passenger with a pleasing panoramic view from high elevations, the main objective of the roller coaster ride was to thrill the passenger by traversing the track at the fastest possible speed while maintaining an acceptable degree of safety. The thrill experienced by the passenger thus arose through the sensations of rapid acceleration, brought about through rapid changes in vertical and horizontal direction of movement.
Innovations in roller coaster design have sought to enhance and intensify passenger thrill by substantially increasing the speed of movement along the track system, and hence, the resulting forces of acceleration experienced by the passenger. These innovations were greatly facilitated by technological advances in materials engineering, a direct result of which enabled the construction of stronger and lighter track systems and passenger vehicles. However, attendant with ever increasing speeds of the passenger vehicles is the ever increasing risk of catastrophic failure of the ride. As a result, other innovations sought to enhance and intensify passenger thrill by incorporating increasingly complex geometries into the track system itself. Two of the more common track geometries which have thus evolved are the loop and the helix.
In parallel with the aforedescribed track system geometries, there also exist innovations in passenger vehicle configurations for enhancing and intensifying passenger thrill. These innovations typically depart from the conventional roller coaster in that the passenger vehicle no longer assumes the standard railway car configuration. For example, Achrekar (U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,943) discloses a suspended passenger vehicle configuration whereby individual passenger units are rotated and translated in a multiplanar manner as the carriage assembly proceeds along a Mobius strip, or one-half section of helical track. A more recent departure from the conventional passenger vehicle configuration is disclosed in Bolliger et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,984). The invention disclosed in Bolliger enables passengers to be suspended from a bogie moving along a horizontal track system, so that a seated passenger""s head is in closer proximity to the bogiexe2x80x94and hence the track railsxe2x80x94than are the passenger""s body and limbs. This configuration results in a passenger vehicle being designed so that each passenger is suspended with his legs in mid-air without a wall or a floor around him.
Although advancements in roller coaster technology allow the passenger vehicles to experience higher speeds and accelerations than ever before, there are biological limits to the speed and acceleration which can be sustained by a person of ordinary health. Moreover, except for the advances described above, the essential roller coaster experience has remained unchanged over the years.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved roller coaster ride.
It is also an object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for a new type of roller coaster experience.
It is another object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for providing a visual roller coaster experience which is different from the force and acceleration experience.
In accord with these objects which will be discussed in detail below, the roller coaster of the present invention includes a pair of spaced apart parallel tracks and a car assembly which is adapted to ride on the tracks. The car assembly includes a superstructure with wheels which engage the track and a passenger compartment which is coupled to the superstructure but force-isolated from it by a plurality of force controlling devices. According to the presently preferred embodiment, the force controlling devices include springs and pneumatic cylinders. The pneumatic cylinders are preferably controlled by an electrically operated pump/valve in response to signals from the roller coaster operator and/or a computer. The passenger compartment is preferably provided with a plurality of sensors for sensing velocity and acceleration as well as the condition of doors and restraints. According to a first embodiment of the invention, the outputs from sensors are transmitted to a central computer which sends signals to the pumps/valves in response to a program which responds to the sensor signals to alter the forces acting on the passenger compartment. According to a second embodiment, the outputs from sensors are transmitted to an onboard computer which sends signals to the pumps/valves in response to a program which responds to the sensor signals. According to a third, less preferred embodiment of the invention, the outputs from sensors are transmitted to the roller coaster operator and the operator manually activates pumps/valves.
The invention provides a new kind of roller coaster experience by altering the forces sensed by passengers so that the force sensation differs from what would be expected from the visual sensation. It also permits the car assembly to experience forces which are higher than the forces experienced by the passenger compartment.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.